Puppy at night

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Mercedes
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Puppy at night

Post by Mercedes »

I mentioned some time ago about my son getting a puppy, well she is now about 19wks old and has been with them since the beginning of August. Thankfully they are managing, with help from us, to make sure she isn't left alone for long periods of time.

However they are struggling a lot with her at night as she still isn't sleeping through the night. I recommended when they first got her that they crate train her in the kitchen and only go down at night if she wakes up, put her outside, then put her back in the crate and go back to bed. The did this for a week or so, then my daughter in law decided she didn't like using the crate and just left her in the kitchen with the crate door wide open. This soon failed as she was then getting out the crate and peeing and pooping all over the kitchen floor and then barking for them to come downstairs.

Since then they keep chopping and changing what they do with her at night. They've tried using the crate again but apparently she just barks to come out. At the moment they are taking her up on their bed at night, which also isn't working as she pooped on their bed last night and the night before she peed on their bed. I wouldn't be at all happy if our dog did that and we still use a crate for Daisy at night as she's happy in there, so it works for us.

I've run out of suggestions for my son now, my latest one is just to get her used to the crate again and get her to realise that night time is for sleeping not playing, just not sure how to actually bridge the gap between how she is now and how she could potentially be. I know she's still very young but I'm sure most puppies go through the night at that age >coc<
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lancashire lass
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Re: Puppy at night

Post by lancashire lass »

A silly question, but do they take the puppy outside for a last chance for a pee and poo before everyone goes to bed - and wait with her until she actually does it and then give praise for being a good dog? And what time are they (1) going to bed (2) getting up in a morning - the night might be just a little too long for the puppy at the moment. Or, she is being fed too late at night is a possibility.

Secondly, are they not putting paper or something to protect the floor at night? I seemed to have newspaper down on my kitchen floor for months even though my dog was toilet trained quite early on, just in case of an accident. And accidents can happen for a while - I never made a big thing about it and just reinforced the reward/praise for being a good dog when she got it right. Perhaps with chopping and changing with the puppy's night routine she has got confused.

I've never crate trained a dog so I'm no expert and cannot comment on its merits or otherwise. And I might be old-school, but I'd never encourage a dog (or any other animal) to sleep on my bed - they had their own bed. It sounds like the early training might have to be started over and as you say, stick with it this time.
Mercedes
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Re: Puppy at night

Post by Mercedes »

Yes lancashirelass she does go out last thing at night, I think they go to bed around 10.30pm and put her out then and she always does a pee. They do get up quite early in the morning as they have a 9yr old so she is up around 7am, but the puppy is already awake by then!

They are feeding her 3 meals a day and her last meal is around 5pm and she has 3 walks a day, so I think she is getting enough exercise.

I do worry though about them perhaps having got a breed that doesn't like being left alone, even though they try to be home as much as they can. She is a cavalier king charles spaniel and from what I have read about them they are prone to separation anxiety and I wonder if when they leave her to go to work that it's upsetting her in general and perhaps showing itself in her behaviour at night.

I just really feel for my son right now as he's spending half the night on the sofa with the puppy and is so sleep deprived. I have to say the puppy is a real live wire, when we look after her she whizzes around the room like she is on speed yike*
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wendy
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Re: Puppy at night

Post by wendy »

If they are happy to have her upstairs then take the crate up and sleep her in that.

If you go down to a puppy when it cries, it learns pretty dam quick, a way to get you to come to it....Just cry and bark !
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Spreckly
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Re: Puppy at night

Post by Spreckly »

I crate trained my last two puppies, and before acquiring Angel, all my shelties slept in their crates downstairs. I did set the alarm clock for the puppies when we first had them - oh the memories of standing outside at 2am when it was bitterly cold, for both of us.

Angel with her oft changing owners was crated on her first night, and we waiting for her to stop barking. We gave in to her, realising that all the changes of homes, in three different countries was a lot for an eighteen month old to cope with. She has slept on our bed ever since, we all get a good night's sleep, and though I often think we should have stuck it out with the crate, it has worked well for us.

I would however, always use a crate for a puppy, perish the thought that we have to have such a young dog ever again.

Hope it works out Lyn.

)ot: Wendy - We had real toiletting issues with Angel if we were away in the caravan, but this summer (our third with her), has been the best we have had, response much quicker, so our patience has been rewarded.
Mercedes
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Re: Puppy at night

Post by Mercedes »

I've passed all your very good advice onto my daughter in law, she seems so concerned she said she is going to take the puppy to the vet, although I did point out to her that there is very little a vet can do really. She's got it into her head that it's the food she is giving her and that maybe she has something wrong with her insides as she has big poops and gets lots of wind. I did suggest she might want to try a raw diet as it would eliminate all the rubbish in her kibble diet and I gave her the phone number to the supplier we use, so maybe she will try her on that, although I doubt it's going to solve the sleep issues.

Wendy I did suggest taking the crate into the bedroom but apparently they did that once and she just cried in the crate :?

I'm so glad I don't have a puppy {rofwl}
Lyn
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Trev62
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Re: Puppy at night

Post by Trev62 »

I have crate trained all my dogs and it has been a real bonus when travelling, they happily jump in to their crate whether it is in the house, garden, car or at the airport for transporting abroad. It works well until you give the crate to the rabbit to sleep in then you often come in to find the rabbit in the dogs bed and a dog in the rabbits crate!!! }hairout{

One thing with crate training is to remember to place the dog in the crate for a period of time (starting with a few minutes and building it up) especially when you are at home, heading outside now and then so they become accustomed to seeing you leave and come back. We always give a treat when they go in and a good play when they come out (after being let outside for their toileting needs).

This worked with both the rescue dogs we took on and Max our Ex Street dog was @ 12/18 months when we first introduced him to this system. It is amazing how quick they learn.

Oh nearly forgot, ensure the crate is not too large for the dog or it defeats the object of crate training, our crates are for large dogs but we section them of inside with a wooden board depending on the size of the dog using them.
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Spreckly
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Re: Puppy at night

Post by Spreckly »

How is the puppy getting on Lyn?
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